I Walked Through Fire and Didn't Get Burned
by AnGeLs and DaEmOns
Summary: I suck at summaries but this is set mostly during Season 2 just before the group makes it to Hershel's farm. My OC Clary and her little sister experience life among zombies and live to tell the tale :D
1. It's the End of the World As We Know It

**Hay everyone! Well this is my first Walking Dead fanfic so don't hate :( lol as always I love to get reviews :) Hope you enjoyy!**

**A/N: I own nothing :( **

I ran to my bedroom, trying to outrun the dead soldier who was chasing me. Well technically it wasn't my bedroom, or my house for that matter. I'd been on the run since the outbreak, and was currently staying in "Mr. and Mrs. Tate's" house. At least, that was what the mailbox said when I rolled up two days ago. Man, when the outbreak hit, it hit fast.

Quickly, I bolted the bedroom door shut. The enraged walker clawed at the door, snapping and moaning viciously. It wanted flesh. I grabbed my backpack and tossed in the few supplies I had managed to scavenge, checked the clip in my pistol, and slid my hunting knife into the sheath on my hip. You know you're skinny when the only thing that fits right is a sheath for a knife.

With a sigh I opened the window and peeped out. Only two walkers were near my car. I could easily take them out and head South. I needed to get away from New York. I needed to get home and find out if my little sister, Jamie, and my dad were alive. After cell reception went down, I'd lost track of them. Launching my backpack out the window, I climbed down the drainpipes. My only hope was that none of those dead some-bitches caught wind of me.

Thankfully the person who had owned the car before me had filled it up nearly full of gas. I fired the engine up and tore out of the city like a bat outta hell.

* * *

I made it to Virginia just fine, but I knew I needed to eat. My stomach was groaning painfully, but I pushed it aside. I would have plenty of time to eat once I got to Atlanta. There was supposedly a refugee center in Atlanta with food, water, protection, and hopefully a cure. I smiled at the prospect of real food. I'd been living off bare minimum since everything went to shit. Scavenging was the only way to survive in an overrun city, and I was getting pretty damn tired of it.

I made it to my dad's house, and cautiously stepped out. Of course, I had my backpack strapped tightly to my form. It held a couple changes of clothes, some water, and food in case I got held up somewhere and couldn't get to my car. The car held my duffle bag full of clothes, and other necessities I'd need for the long haul.

When I stared at the house that was the bane of my existence, I realized something was terribly wrong. The fence's gate was nearly ripped off the hinges and the door to the house was flung open.

Quietly I grabbed my pistol and started towards the house. Once inside, I nearly hurled just because of the revolting smell. Death was everywhere. Blood spattered the carpet and pooled beneath bodies. Holding my breath, I checked each one for signs that it was infected. Every one of them had a bullet hole straight through their brains. Guess even soldiers preferred to opt out than to become one of those walking bastards. Then I found a man who had bullets holes riddled through his body. As my eyes made their way up the man's body, I recognized the ragged flannel, and the can of skoal chewing tobacco lying beside him. I choked back the tears that were forming. My father's dead figure was lying in my hands. Trying to treat it as any other person who had died, I checked his body for bites and scratches. Of course I found several. A wave of tears threatened to over take me. My dad must have suffered a lot before he died. Tenderly, I stroked his face. There weren't any bullet holes in his head, so I knew it was a matter of time.

Frantically, I ran through the rest of the house.

"Jamie!" I called out, hoping to hear my little sister's voice.

I threw open every door in the house looking for Jamie. Tears were streaming down my face. Maybe she had been infected and dad tried to hide her from the soldiers. Maybe she had infected my own father. I tried to open the bathroom door, but it seemed locked. I unsheathed my knife and began picking the lock. I didn't care if Jamie had been infected, I just wanted to be sure before I left.

Finally the old door gave way and I shoved it open. I searched the tiny cabinet underneath the sink for any signs of life. No, no Jamie. The only other place she could hide would be the linen closet. I sent up a silent prayer, asking not to find my worst nightmare in that closet. With a breath, I yanked the door open.

I stared in disbelief. Hunkering in the corner was my little sister. Not thinking, I dropped to my knees. If she had been infected, she would have already tried to kill me.

"Jamie." I breathed out.

Slowly, the small brunette looked at me. Her hazel eyes met my gray ones.

"Jamie, Jamie it's me. Clary. Baby it's me." Tears rimmed my eyes as recognition dawned on her face. No words were said. Jamie just ran straight into my arms, clinging to me for dear life.

"Jamie, I need to know what the hell happened." I said after a few moments.

Jamie let me go and but didn't take her eyes off me.

"Dad. Dad said you'd come. After this… thing hit, people panicked. Soldiers came rushing in, killing people. Not walkers, living people. They came, and dad told me to hide in here." Tears flowed down the thirteen year old's face.

"He-he-he said, whatever you do, don't scream."

I grabbed my sister in a fierce hug. "What about Sharon?"

Jamie wiped away her tears. "Left after the first emergency broadcast." I nodded. "What are we gonna do?"

I thought for a second. "Grab yer shit. We're heading to the refugee center in Atlanta." I explained. Jamie nodded and stood up.

* * *

I followed my little sister to her room and helped her pack everything. We grabbed a few essentials and made our way back out of the house. Cautiously, I stopped Jamie and held out my knife. The door to get out was blocked by the bodies, but that's not what stopped me. I could hear it. I heard the fierce growls of a walker, ripping into its dinner. I made Jamie stay where she was, and I stepped out to see the walker.

Immediately the bastard spotted me, and growled, wanting to feed on me. I almost dropped my knife. It was my dad. Dad's body rushed towards me. Thankfully I managed to regain my composure and stabbed him in the skull before he could sink his teeth into me.

When the corpse went limp, I shoved it off me, still in shock. Jamie called out to see if I was ok. I grabbed her hand and the few guns that were sprawled out across the floor.

"Come on!" I said as I hauled her past the bodies and made our way to my car.

I made her sit in the front seat of the car. If I couldn't see her, I couldn't protect her. I let out a ragged breath and started the car. I knew there was a chance my father and my sister might be dead. I was just thankful that some deity had spared my little sister.

"You killed him, didn't you? Dad's gone isn't he?" the thirteen year old questioned.

I nodded. No use in lying to her. "I had to. Dad was dead. That wasn't him. Dad was shot to death. His body was what came back."

Jamie nodded, and not surprisingly, she didn't shed any tears. Dad had never been the greatest father and my stepmother was the worst thing that had happened to him or us.

We made our way out of the city and headed south. We would only get so far, but it was better than staying in one place and risking the chance of more of them fuckers finding us.

**Well there ya go! My first chapter :) Drop a review and tell me what you thought! **


	2. Ominous Words

"Ya hungry?" I asked when we stopped near the ocean in South Carolina.

Jamie nodded. I could see the fear that went unspoken. I fed her what little bit of food I had in my pack, and gave her a bottle of water. I felt so bad for not being able to give her more.

When she finished her water off, I flipped the seat down and made a makeshift bed for her. She yawned then hugged me.

"Get some sleep. We'll be leaving fer Atlanta at first light." I reassured her. Atlanta would be safer for us. Hopefully they would have a cure for whatever the hell this thing was.

Sleep didn't come easily for me. I kept listening to every little sound, scared that walkers would try and sneak up on us. The feel of the large butcher knife in my hand was the only thing that settled my mind enough to catch any sleep in this hellish nightmare of a world…

"What are all these cars here for?" asked Jamie.

We were a few miles outside of Atlanta, stopped by a couple thousand vehicles in front of us. I sighed, not sure if she really wanted to know.

"The people in them were more than likely…"

"Attacked?" Jamie interrupted as we passed a green truck with the body of a young woman.

Her face was half ripped and the flesh, decaying.

"Baby don't look." I said, but I knew she had already seen it. Surprisingly, Jamie didn't gag or make a face. She was silent as I maneuvered the car through the sea of abandoned vehicles. It was a mass graveyard.

* * *

We maneuvered our way closer to the city. I fervently prayed that we would be able to find the refugee center before nightfall. Being so close to the city scared the living shit out of me, especially when it was almost dark. I knew I was going to be passing out from lack of food soon if I didn't find a place for us to lay low. Already my vision was getting bleary and I was pretty sure my eyes were red rimmed. Jamie asked me something that I couldn't quite hear, so I turned my head to face my little sister. But Jamie's frightened face caused me to whip my head back around to the windshield. Four walkers were stumbling around an overturned tanker and took notice of our vehicle. Jamie screamed which caused them to charge at us. I cursed and put the car in reverse, watching as the walkers shuffled towards us with hungry eyes.

"Hang on." I muttered as I drove over the grassy medium and onto the less crowded road leading away from the city.

It was just light enough that through the rearview mirror I could make out the hideous forms of the walkers trying to follow my speeding car. "Damn." So much for getting into the city.

* * *

I'm not sure how far or for how long I drove, but when I did stop, my car was on half a tank of gas. I guided the vehicle to a stop by a ditch when I began seeing double and my head started throbbing. If I had any food in my stomach, it would be laying in a pile of chunks on the ground.

"Listen, I'm going to rest, ok? I need you to keep watch for a bit."

Jamie nodded, though I could tell she was scared.

"If you even think something's wrong, wake me up, got it? Scream, kick me, yank my hair, do what you have to, ok?" I handed over my 9mm pistol.

I would have to teach her how to shoot properly one day. Jamie looked at me. "The safety's off, so it's ready to fire." I said as I reclined in my seat.

She just stared out the window. "I love you Clary."

I half smiled. "Love you too, kid. Don't ever forget that."

I closed my eyes finally succumbing to the welcomed unconsciousness that took over my being. At least I could check out of reality for a while.

****A few weeks later****

Rick gathered everyone around the oak tree near the church. We'd been hunting for Sophia all morning, and the shade was a welcome change to the blistering heat.

"We're going to split up. Shane and I will stay here a little longer just in case Sophia finds her way here." The ex-cop then pointed to Daryl. "Daryl's gonna take the rest of ya'll back to the highway."

Most people agreed with what he had said and grabbed their packs. Daryl, of course, didn't look too thrilled at the thought of taking the lead and heading back to where our vehicles were. I sighed and gave Jamie a tight squeeze before I walked over to where Glenn was. The Korean smiled a little and fiddled with his machete.

"Hay" I said, making him look at me.

"What's up Clary?" He asked, slightly concerned.

I didn't talk much to anyone. Mostly I kept to my little sister, and myself but on those nights where I had offered to take double watch with Glenn I had grown to trust him. I honestly believed there wasn't a evil bone in his body.

"D'ya mind watching Jamie? I'm gonna see if I can stay with Rick and Shane. I want you to take Jamie back to the highway."

He took his hat off and began wringing it. "Ya sure? I-I mean I don't know how to take care of kids."

I had to laugh. "Relax, it ain't rocket science. Jus keep an eye on her an make sure she stays outta trouble. It's not like you gotta change a diaper or nothing."

Glenn nodded and I turned tail to find our leaders…

It took some convincing, and maybe a little groveling, but finally Rick consented to me staying behind and helping search for Sophia. I sighed when I saw his reluctance. He just didn't understand. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't do something to help the poor kid. She didn't deserve to be lost in the woods.

Finally Daryl set off with his group and I stayed behind with Rick, Shane, and Carl.

"I'm going inside for a bit." Rick mumbled as he walked up the steps to the old country church.

Once our leader disappeared inside, Shane looked up at me while his hand massaged Carl's left shoulder. I felt my face start heating up. I'd never been able to get comfortable around the tall man. Something just seemed off about him. Laying my baseball bat down, I found a soft spot on the grass to sit. Shane's eyes bored into my head, I could feel them. What the hell was his problem?

"Something wrong, Shane?" I questioned.

The man smirked and looked at Carl.

"Why don't you go get my bag by the bench? Don't worry, we'll watch ya." he assured the young boy.

Carl nodded and walked towards the bench across the field. Finally Shane spoke up.

"You really think we'll find her; the girl?"

I shrugged. "Anything's possible. What if Daryl and his group bring her back to camp? What if we're only a day away from finding her?"

Shane scoffed and looked away. "Daryl wouldn't do anything except shoot the kid 'tween the eyes. She ain't kin to him. Don't ya think it's about time we explored the other option? Maybe she's a—."

I silenced him with a glare. "A what Shane? A walker? Even if she turns out to be one, Carol deserves to know. She deserves to know her daughter's dead rather than spend the rest of her life wondering. And Daryl's done more for us than what people give him credit for. I think Rick's starting to realize that. Daryl found Jamie and me. He saved our lives. He feeds us and helps keep us safe."

Before Shane could respond, Rick walked out and joined us. He glanced at his best friend.

"Ya find what you were looking for?" Shane asked.

Rick walked towards the woods, a new determination bright in his eyes. "I guess we'll find out."

I shivered involuntarily at our leaders' ominous words. I guess we would.


	3. You Fucking Shut It!

**Here we go guys! Chapter 3 ^_^ Hope you enjoy!**

We started combing the woods, occasionally calling out Sophia's name. From the position of the sun, I guessed it was roughly three or so. Everywhere I looked, it seemed as though this…thing…hadn't touched it at all. We kept our eyes and ears open to what was going on around us all the same though. No one was turning into walker chow on our watches.

After searching for more than hour, Rick allowed us to stop and catch our breath. I could tell Carl was starting to tire. His cheeks were flushed and his breathing was labored. We each took a moment to drink from our containers of water and laid our packs down. The weight of my pack being lifted from my shoulders caused me to smile and stretch my aching limbs. Movement in the bushes caused all of our heads to snap up. My fear of walkers gave way to awestruck wonder as a beautiful 12-point buck strode right into the open in front of us. The world itself seemed to stop spinning for fear of scaring the creature away. Carl looked up at his father then to Shane and finally to me as if asking permission to step closer to the animal. After a few moments of piercing silence, Carl took a few cautious steps in the deer's direction, reaching his hand out to pet it. I smiled. It was so beautiful, so precious. Honestly, I think we all forgot the hellhole we were living in. All that mattered was that Carl was inches away from stroking the pelt of a wild deer. I could almost taste the tension in the air.

In a flash, in a millisecond of time the almost peaceful trance we were placed in was shattered. With the rustling of the bushes and a pull of a trigger, the beautiful deer and Carl lay on the ground, covered in crimson. It seemed as if it were just a terrible nightmare. Suddenly a man appeared from the underbrush sputtering about not seeing the boy. Shane tackled the man and screamed at him. For once, I didn't mind Shane loosing his temper. Rick knelt by his unconscious son yelling out something unintelligible. Quickly I shoved our leader out of my way.

"I need to check his pulse!" I yelled, making Rick look dead at me.

I pulled Carl's jacket down to find the pulse point on his neck. When I felt the faint beating of his heart I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"We need to remove the bullet!" I said.

By then, Shane had cooled off somewhat and let the guy breathe.

"We got a farm…Bout a mile up the road…. Ask for Hershel!" The guy said, obviously breathless.

Rick was still in shock, so I picked Carl up, careful not to jostle his wound and began heading in the direction of the farm. Hopefully this guy wasn't lying to us. If he were, he'd have another thing coming…

By the time we'd made it half way to the farm, Rick had snapped out of it and practically ripped Carl from my grasp. I was thankful as I kneeled down, catching my breath.

"Go…on! I'll catch up." I said as I waved them on. We could not let Carl die, not without getting to the farm.

* * *

Step by step, I made it to the farm. My clothes were covered in sweat, grime, and blood. My legs felt like they'd been set ablaze and my heart was running a marathon. I looked up and was greeted by a young blonde headed girl. She didn't look much older than seventeen.

"You with the cop?" She asked in her deep southern accent.

I nodded and she guided me inside the farmhouse.

"Daddy's in there." She pointed to a closed room then eyed me cautiously. "You his momma?"

I quickly looked at her. "N-no. I don't have kids. They're just members of our group."

Her hazel eyes widened slightly. "How many more of ya'll are there?"

Quickly I did a mental count. "Ten are with the group still. We-we've lost some."

She grabbed my hand, paying no mind to the drying blood on my hands, and dragged me to where an older guy was leaning over Carl. "Daddy! There's more of 'em. This isn't his mom."

For a second, I thought the guy was going to keel over. "Where's the mother?" He asked Rick.

Shane shoved his friend lightly and Rick answered the question.

"I-I-I need to get her. She needs to know." He mumbled as he covered his face with his hands.

It broke my heart to see our leader so broken, so lost.

"Rick, don't worry. I'll get Lori. I'll bring her back. You need to stay here. If not for you, then for Carl. He needs you." I stated calmly.

Rick stared at me a moment then went to sit next to his son. I sighed. Now how the hell was I going to find our group before nightfall? As I walked out of the room a slightly curvy woman with a pixie haircut called out to me.

"Ya heading somewhere?" I diverted my gaze from her piercing eyes.

"Yeah. Gotta find our group. The boy needs his mom."

She smirked slightly and placed a hand on her hips. "You won't get far on foot. You know where your group is?"

I nodded. "Well come on. Let's saddle up. It'll be dark soon." The dark skinned woman spoke as she made her way back outside. Guess I had no choice but to follow her.

* * *

Maggie guided her horse, Jake, along a narrow path deep in the woods.

"Clary are you sure they went this way?" She asked worriedly.

Before I could reassure her, a woman's piercing screams echoed all around us. I glanced at Maggie and held on tight as she goaded Jake into a full on sprint to where the distressed woman was.

As we approached the distressed woman, it was clear a walker was attacking her. Wordlessly, I handed my baseball bat off to Maggie and ducked down as she swung the bat in a wide arch, effectively crushing the bastards' skull. She stopped the horse and we finally got a close look at the woman we had hopefully saved. My jaw slacked when I saw the golden locks and cloudy blue eyes.

"Andrea?!" I nearly whispered.

Maggie whipped her head around to mine.

"This ya'lls group?" she asked quietly.

I nodded.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" she called out.

Lori's dark dead snapped up. "Yes."

Swiftly I climbed off the horse, allowing room for the tall-framed brunette.

"Rick sent me. There's been an accident. Carl's been shot."

For a second Lori looked in utter shock. Wordlessly she started forward.

"Hay! Wait! You don't know her!" Daryl's familiar southern drawl shouted.

I glared at him. "You fucking shut it!"

I then whirled my head to face the two women on the horse. "Go, Lori! Rick and Carl need you."

She nodded and held on tightly as Maggie spouted directions on how to get to the farm to Glenn. Quite frankly, he looked scared shitless. All eyes shifted to me. My eyes found Daryl's. He seemed pissed but I really didn't give a damn. After several moments he called out that we should keep moving and broke our stare. I felt the heat slowly leaving my cheeks and silently followed everyone back to the highway…


	4. There's Nothing Between Us

Dale and T-Dog were waiting for us when we got back.

"Where's Lori?" The elder asked.

Glenn sighed and told him what had happened.

"So you just let her go?!"

Daryl rolled his eyes and shifted the weight of his crossbow. "Calm down old man. They knew Rick and Carl's names."

Dale's aged eyes then shifted to Andrea who looked as if she'd been through hell and back. Come to think of it, we probably all did.

"And those screams? Was that you?" He asked the blonde.

Andrea just sighed and walked towards the RV.

"She had a close call with a walker." Glenn said quietly.

Dale walked over to Andrea and asked if she was ok. Everyone watched silently as she blew up in his face about wanting to die her way and not being ripped apart by the walkers. The hurt on Dale's face made me feel sick to my stomach. Before I could comfort the man who reminded me so much of my late grandfather, Jamie walked over and wrapped him in a tight hug. I smiled when Dale bent down to kiss my little sister's forehead. Slowly I approached the two and gave a quick hug to Dale.

"She's just going through a tough time. You did the right thing in saving her."

He threw me a grateful yet tired smile. "I only wish she would see that. She's like a daughter to me. I can't lose her."

* * *

The men who were left, excluding T-Dog, agreed that we needed to head to the farm and regroup with Rick and Shane.

"We can't just abandon my little girl. She's all alone out there." Carol said, looking longingly at the woods.

"She's right. If Sophia showed up and we were gone, it'd be awful." Andrea said, nodding towards the grieving mother.

Everyone seemed slightly unnerved by how calm Andrea seemed; everyone that is, except for Daryl.

"I'm gonna stay here. Rig up a big sign, maybe leave some supplies fer her." He explained.

I couldn't believe how involved he wanted to get with finding the lost little girl. Immediately Carol expressed her appreciation and said she was staying too. Andrea and Dale also staked a spot in the RV. Glenn offered to stay but instead he got stuck taking T-Dog back to the farm and reconvening with the rest of our people.

"I wanna stay too." I said, making everyone look at me.

Immediately Carol shook her head. "Clary no, I can't ask you to. You've already done so much."

"It's no problem, Carol. Sides let's be honest. You haven't slept much in two days. You need your strength."

The shorthaired woman smiled sadly at me. "Thank you."

I hugged her close and promised we would do everything we could to find Sophia.

Once Glenn, T-Dog, and Jamie left I offered to take first watch while Daryl and Dale worked on making a sign and leaving a small thing of supplies for Sophia if she ever came back this way. Soon Carol joined me on the roof of the RV.

"You all right? Ya need anything?" she asked, sounding like she was dying to do something to help.

I shook my head. "I'm fine. I could use some company though." I smiled.

She unfolded the extra chair and sat it beside mine. We both sat in the dying sunlight, enjoying the silence for a while, comfortable with each other's presence.

I watched as Daryl climbed on top of an old beige mustang, armed with a can of spray paint. My eyes followed each stroke he made with the paint, catching the way the muscles in his arms moved. He was definitely built, but it was a blood, sweat, and tears built. He'd more than likely worked for a construction site or done some other manual labor before all this. His hair was naturally dark, but in the sun it gleamed a sandy blonde, matching the color of the scruff on his chin. Carol cleared her throat, which caused me to jump. She looked at me and smiled sweetly.

"He's a good man, Daryl. He's done more to help Sophia than Ed or I ever did. It's no surprise you like him." I jerked my head up and my cheeks turned the color of a tomato.

"I don't know about liking him, Carol. I mean he's attractive, but there's nothing between us." I managed to blubber out. Carol placed her hand on my knee and gave me this weird look. I met her smile as she climbed back down the ladder to fix dinner for us.

**Daryl POV**

He sighed and turned on his left side. Sleeping on the floor of a camper was not one of his favorite things, but he'd slept in way worse places before. Mainly though he was thinking. Sleep was hard to find since everyone seemed to be making noise. Carol kept weeping and moaning in her sleep. Seriously, why didn't she just shut the hell up? But the hunter chastised himself. When he was a kid, he'd give almost anything to have someone cry about loosing him. Carol being upset about Sophia being missing signaled that she cared about her daughter. In his mind, that was an advantage. Andrea who was using the tabletop bed was messing with her gun, trying to strip down her gun then reassemble it. Dale was outside keeping watch while Clary slept in the living area. She was the quietest of all of them.

Finally fed up with sitting around being useless, Daryl grabbed his crossbow and asked Andrea for his gun. The blonde offered to search with him. He shrugged his shoulders and made a comment about not lagging behind. Andrea just rolled her eyes and grabbed her gun. While she put on her shoes, Daryl heard a noise coming from where Clary was. If he strained his ears enough he could hear her moaning for something or someone to stop. From the grogginess in her voice he could tell she was asleep. This puzzled the hunter, but he shook his head to clear his mind. Once Andrea was ready they let Dale know they were heading out, and set off into the dark forest….

**Hope you guys enjoy :D**


	5. Broken Pieces

**Wow! Guess I'm on a roll huh? :D Here's another chapter for ya! Oh and BTW the italicized portion is what Clary dreamed the night before... Hope you enjoyy :) **

When I woke up, it was just beginning to be light out. I sluggishly maneuvered myself into a sitting position and rubbed my tired eyes. They'd been happening again; the dreams. Since this thing started I hadn't had any dreams about my past. I thought I had made peace with it. Boy was I wrong…

* * *

_I placed the dishes in the sink. Only a few more minutes till the chicken for my stepmother's party was done. I decided to go upstairs and check on my little sister. She hated being up there all by herself, but when I had no other choice I had to leave her in the playpen up there._

_As I walked in the room Jamie smiled her toothless smile at me. I grinned back at the silly two year old and picked her up. _

_"Ya ready for a nap kid?" I asked in an animated voice. Jamie's laughter filled the room. _

_"I take that as a yeah?"_

_Once I laid Jamie down for her evening nap, a horrid smell reached my nostrils. _

_"Oh shit!" I exclaimed as I flew down the staircase. _

_I couldn't let the chicken burn. _

_"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" I yelled as I saw the mass of blackened carbon that was supposed to be baked chicken. Sharon would definitely have it in for me tonight…_

"_You stupid fucking bitch! I told you not to burn the fucking chicken!" Sharon screamed as she grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at her. _

_I blinked back tears of rage as I heard Jamie crying. _

_"Lower your voice. You're scaring Jamie." I mumbled. _

_Big mistake. Sharon slapped my face and yanked my hair back so our eyes met. Suddenly she shoved me against the counter and whispered in my ear._

_ "Maybe this'll teach you a lesson about focusing your priorities you little shit!" _

_She then proceeded to take the cigarette she'd been smoking and held it against my lower arm. I screamed in pain and felt my eyes water, but I knew it was just us. No one would hear me. No one would hear the God-awful things Sharon said to me and no one would see the marks she left on me. This was just another addition to my collection…_

* * *

I finally gathered enough energy to change my clothing and run a brush through my tangled mess of hair. No one was in the RV so I put on my sneakers and walked outside.

As I figured, Dale was keeping watch on the roof of the RV and Carol remained by the mustang that held the sign for Sophia. I climbed up the ladder and was greeted with a small smile from the old man. I returned the smile and looked out over the horizon.

"Morning, Clary. Sleep well?" He asked courteously.

I nodded as my eyes fell on Carol's frame by the car.

"Yeah I did." I lied smoothly."How bout you? You get much sleep last night?"

Dale shook his head. "Carol and I kept watch. Didn't want any of those…things sneaking up on us."

I grunted in agreement, then scanned the immediate area for Daryl and Andrea.

"Hay Dale, you seen Andrea and Daryl?" I asked.

He pointed ahead of us and further into the traffic jam. "They went scouting for walkers. Wanted to clear the area so we could turn around and head to the farm this evening."

"Have they searched this area?" I asked, pointing south.

He shook his head. "They left about ten minutes before you got up. I don't think they've made it that far yet."

"Well, I'm gonna go check it out. Ain't no use in sitting on my ass when I can help." I stood up and stretched, allowing a slow moan escape my lips.

I definitely needed some more sleep, and a chiropractor. Before I climbed down the ladder Dale placed a hand on my shoulder and offered me a bottle of water.

"Be careful Clary. I've lost too many people I've cared about already. I don't want to lose another."

I gratefully took the bottle and hugged the concerned man. "Don't worry, Dale it'll take a lot more than a few of those fuckers to get rid of me. Too many people counting on me to come back…"

Cautiously, I began searching around the abandoned cars, grabbing supplies as I went along. So far I found a few blankets, some canned foods, and some clothes that might fit Glenn and Carol. I also found a small necklace that was in the shape of a key. I looked around and snatched it up. It was at least something I could give Jamie. As I pocketed the item, someone's hands snaked around my waist and mouth. I lashed out violently, but whoever held me continued to keep me in a vice grip.

"Hay, pretty thang." The man's rough voice whispered in my ear.

It definitely wasn't someone from our group. I felt his tongue lick its way up my cheek. Gross!

"You taste good."

"Yo D! You find something?" Asked another unfamiliar voice.

The man holding me turned and I saw who had spoken. It was a skinny black guy. He looked maybe in his late twenties, somewhere around my age.

"Aye, just this lil bitch." The man holding me, "D", spoke.

The black man looked me over greedily. "Let's take her back to camp. She's got some supplies…. And a pretty nice ass…" He drawled out sensuously.

In a fit of rage I managed to sink my teeth into one of D's fingers and break away from his grasp.

"OW! Grab that fucking whore! She bit me!" D yelled.

The black man managed to catch me, and this time he taped my mouth shut and bound my arms with duck tape. Without thinking, I stomped on the guys' foot and slung my head back, hoping to slam it hard enough to knock him out. I managed to get away, but they continued following me. I ran in the direction Sophia was last seen. Maybe if I hid in the little hole, I could ditch them…

Running with my arms tied behind my back was no easy task. I felt like top heavy dead weight was resting on my shoulders. I could hear the men several yards back. They screamed curses at me, but I was too focused on staying alive to pay much attention. I nearly cried with joy when I saw the river and the spot where Rick claimed he left Sophia two days ago. Without hesitating, I hurled myself into the cool water. I landed on my shoulder painfully. Probably dislocated it, but quickly, I crawled into a sitting position and hurried into the hole made by a fallen tree. I prayed silently the men wouldn't see me. I listened as the two men approached.

"Where'd she go?" one asked, obviously angry.

"Dunno, but she can't hide forever." Said the other guy.

I heard the menacing meaning behind his words and cowered further into my safe hole. The two men decided to split up and search for me.

"We'll find 'er, and when I get my hands on her I'm gonna make sure she sucks me off good." I realized that was the guy I had slammed my head into.

The other guy just chuckled, but something stopped them.

"How bout you stay right there!" yelled a familiar voice.

"Aw, now, we don't want no trouble." D called out.

"Yeah we're just looking for our girlfriend."

"You wouldn't have a habit of finding little girls in the woods now would ya? Or taking in a guy missing a hand?"

"Nah man we ain't that kinky. Look maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Now lower your crossbow and we can talk." D said, trying to sound sincere.

"I'm fine keeping it right where it is. Now you best go on."

"Nah I don't think so. See, we got camp a day away from here. And it'd be a damn shame if we came back empty handed. Sides' we can't really leave without our girl. Why don't you join us? We could use a man of your…skills. We have food, shelter, company." Said the black guy.

"Don't think so. Got my own camp. We're doin jus fine."

I tried to calm my breathing so the men after me wouldn't hear it.

"See, our offer isn't a suggestion. Now you gonna come quietly?" asked D in a menacing voice.

Silence was all i heard.

"Suit yourself, but your gonna regret it..."


	6. No Pain, No Gain

I heard the sounds of a struggle. Daryl may be tough but I wasn't sure if how he'd fare against two men who were desperate. In this world, I'd learned to fear desperation more than brute strength. Trying my best to ignore the pain in my shoulder, I maneuvered so that my arms were in front of me. Thankfully the men were too stupid to notice the knife I carried around. Cringing in pain, I managed to unsheathe the blade and worked to cut the binds around my wrists.

Once my constraints were undone I ripped the tape from my mouth. Quietly, I peeped up to see what was happening. Both men had managed to pry Daryl away from his beloved crossbow, but the stubborn redneck kept fighting, using his knife to slice and dice as much as he could. Using a fallen tree as leverage, I climbed out of the water and onto the embankment. Still no one was paying attention to me, thank goodness. My mind formed a plan as soon as I saw Daryl get placed in a headlock. D pressed Daryl's own knife to his neck, whispering something I couldn't quite hear. Readying myself, I gripped my knife and took a few deep breaths. This was bat shit crazy!

"Hay!"

My voice didn't even sound right to my ears. It was full of authority and menace. The skinny black guy had just enough time to look up at me before I rammed into him. I heard him gasp and felt his body convulse. He stumbled back a ways and crimson streaks began staining his clothing. Serves him right.

"Daryl?" I heard Andrea's voice call out.

Daryl took advantage of the distraction Andrea and I had created and grabbed his crossbow. Without blinking, he aimed an arrow through D's head.

"You—stupid-bitc-."

"Shut up." Daryl mumbled as he aimed another arrow through the black man's skull, silencing him forever. I looked up at Daryl. He didn't look like he'd been hurt bad.

"Oh my G—. Clary are you ok? What the hell happened?" Andrea ran up to us, looking at the carnage all around.

I nodded, but stabbing pain seared through my right arm. I cringed as I gingerly checked how badly off I was. Andrea immediately rushed to my side and began coddling me.

"She needs ta pop that back in place. Else it'll set wrong." Daryl spoke to the blonde.

I rolled my eyes and broke away from the woman's grasp. I scanned the area for a suitable tree to help pop my shoulder back. Once I found a smaller tree, I stepped back and braced myself. This was gonna hurt like a fucking bitch. Before I could give much thought to how much pain I'd be in I launched myself at the tree. As my shoulder collided with the trunk of the hundred or so year old tree I slammed my eyes shut and let out a silent scream. I sank to the ground and cradled my injured shoulder. Andrea was by my side again and hugged my crumpled form.

"I—I'm ok…Hadda fix my shoulder." I breathed out when the pain subsided.

The blonde looked slightly in shock, but helped me to my feet. I remember Daryl asking me if I could walk, and I remember seeing the highway. After that, I don't remember shit.

* * *

"Clary. Clary, sweetheart we're here. We're almost to the farm." Carol's soothing voice caressed as I felt the bed I was laying on lurch.

"Hmm, wha? What the hell?" I sputtered groggily.

Carol ran her fingers through some stray strands of hair.

"We're heading to the farm."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up.

"Can you stand?"

I nodded. "What happened? I remember Daryl and Andrea finding me. Did they find the supplies I picked up?"

My eyes widened slightly as I became aware of my surroundings.

"You passed out on the way back to the RV. Andrea said you dislocated your shoulder."

As if on cue, my shoulder began throbbing. I cursed and slumped back down on the bed. I noticed that I was in clean, non-wet clothing.

"Carol, did someone put these clothes on me?" She nodded her head shyly and apologized for going through my bag.

I smiled and told her it wasn't a problem. I tested my equilibrium and made my way up front. Daryl was riding on his bike, so it was just Andrea, Dale, Carol, and I in the ancient vehicle. Andrea smiled and made room for me at the small table when I approached.

"How's the shoulder?" she asked.

I chuckled. "Been better, but I'll live."

Carol then sat across from me, next to Andrea. Since I had both women here, it was best to get to the chase.

"Look, when we get to the farm people are gonna ask questions. As far as you know, I slipped up and fell into the river looking for Sophia." I cast Carol a sympathetic glance, but frankly I was too focused on saving my own ass to put much effort into it.

"But, I saw you. Those men attacked you and Daryl. They would have killed you both."

I met the woman's sky blue eyes. "I know, but if we tell everyone that I was attacked by perverts looking for a piece of ass and some supplies, they'll flip out. When those guys came after me, they said they had a camp bout a days' travel from the highway. If I tell them the truth, they'll get all riled up and those men on the highway will find us. We don't want that at all."

Reluctantly, both women agreed to our plan and promised to keep this under wraps.

"You plan to tell Rick don't you?" Carol asked in a small, yet determined voice.

I nodded my head vigorously. "Of course. He deserves to know. He's got a good head on his shoulders. I trust his judgment."

I then coaxed Andrea to talk to Dale and have him promise not to tell anyone about what happened out there. The blonde rolled her eyes and went to go speak to the "grandfather" of our discombobulated group.

* * *

I was dark by the time the RV parked under an old tree about 100 feet from the farmhouse. Dale had agreed to not telling anyone about what had happened on the highway with the condition that I tell Rick the absolute truth. Andrea asked me if I was going to tell Daryl to lie, but in truth I trusted him with the information he had.

"Sides, no one speaks to him. Worst thing he can do is tell everyone and spread rumors bout me." I told her as we reached the porch.

Lori, Rick, Shane, Glenn, T Dogg, and Hershel's people were waiting outside for us. Lori and Carol embraced each other as she told everyone that Carl was ok. I couldn't help but smile. Carl had been saved. Before Glenn became overwhelmed with everyone's return, I ran over to him and hugged him. This surprised him, but he smiled and asked if I was ok. I told him our well-rehearsed lie of"Yeah" leaving out the part where I was attacked and that my shoulder was killing me. My dear friend spoke of how he and Jamie sat up late playing BS and she totally beat him. I laughed and hugged my sister as she came outside. Fuck! I missed her. Not being able to hide from her discerning eyes, she immediately noticed the bruise on my shoulder. I felt slightly guilty as I lied about what had happened, but I reminded myself that I was doing this to protect the group.

"Maybe you should talk to Hershel. He fixed Carl and T Dogg up."

I nodded and greeted the rest of the group as cheerily as I could.

"Well, you did a descent job of setting it, but I'd recommend wearing a sling for a week or two to make sure it stays that way." The old man, Hershel told me as he poked and prodded at my injured arm.

I winced in pain. Rick, Glenn, Jamie, Maggie, and Beth were all watching what was going on. Andrea saved me the trouble of lying again before she retreated to set up her tent for the night. All I had to do was sit there and follow doctors' orders. More than likely that wasn't going to happen.

"Sorry Doc, but as they say, 'no pain, no gain'." I said as I hopped off the counter.

"Oh, I must insist. At least let me check it once a day for any problems."

"Sure. I'll be here after dinner tomorrow night." I told him.

He nodded and began putting away his medical equipment.

"Jamie, come on let's go to bed." I called to my little sister as she yawned and hugged Glenn goodnight.

Once I finished saying goodnight to everyone, I walked outside and saw Carol finishing setting up my tent. I smiled at the mother as she said goodnight and thanked her for everything she had done. At least in this hell-hole of a world there were still some good people out there….

**Well, here it is! Another chapter :) I'm not too thrilled by it, but drop me a review and tell me how you enjoyed it :D **


	7. Out of the Mouths of Babes

**Well I finally have another chapter! :) Don't worry there'll be some real Daryl/Clary time in the future. I didn't want to rush things and make them unrealistic. Hope you enjoy :D**

**Brittany: I hope you get this since you don't have an account here, but Clary is 26. I mirrored Clary and Jamie's age difference after mine and my cousin's. :) Glad you're enjoying it so far!**

**Leyshla Gisel: Thank you so much for your reviews :D **

I awoke the next morning with a start. Where the hell was I? Slowly my brain began to remember that we were on Hershel's farm. I sighed and relaxed my aching muscles. My shoulder was especially stiff, as I figured it would be. Without waking Jamie up, I put on some fresh clothing and choked down two Ibuprofens from my pack. Lori and Carol were making breakfast when I walked up to the fire pit.

"Morning," They said in unison.

I smiled and returned the pleasantries before asking how I could help.

"You can start by slicing these potatoes." Lori said as she motioned for me to sit with her.

I nodded and began the mediocre task of peeling and slicing potatoes…

* * *

I spent most of the day walking around with Beth, helping her with the farm chores. Since we were staying on their land and one of their people were going into town to get supplies for the rest of us, I decided to get to know the youngest Greene daughter. Occasionally she would question me about my sister and our family. Usually I told her a half-truth or a convincing lie. No need to dredge up everything that happened in the past. I learned from her that her mother and her brother had died in the initial outbreak, as well as many of her good friends and neighbors. It was a really sad thing for a young person like her to go through.

"Clary!" called my young sister from our tent.

Beth smiled and took the bucket of vegetables we had collected from the garden inside. I made my way to mine and Jamie's tent. When I saw Jamie laying out on her sleeping bag, hands clutching her stomach, and a bottle of pain medication beside her head, I knew it was that time of the month…

Once Jamie bummed some pads from Andrea, we walked to the farmhouse.

"Babe I'm gonna take a shower, ok?"

"Ok, I'm going to see Carl." She said as she placed her dark hair in a ponytail.

I smiled once I felt the warm water hit my skin. It felt so invigorating; so cleansing. I allowed my long, almost red hair flow freely down my back and took my sweet time washing it. My tan skin lightened up significantly as I scrubbed the dirt, grime, and sweat of this world down the drain.

I stepped out and dried off my body, making sure to clean up all the excess water that had gotten on the floor. I put on my gray tank top and a pair of basketball shorts and tried combing through my thick hair. "Ow!" I cursed as the brush snagged and pulled at my tangles. After about ten minutes of fighting, I began searching for scissors. "Fuck this shit." I mumbled. When I found a pair of scissors in the cabinet, I began cutting the strands to about my chin. Of course it was a rough cut, but it was better than dealing with all the tangles and it'd help cool my head when I was out in the sun.

As I walked downstairs, Hershel met me half way. He mumbled a hello and went to move by me.

"Hershel, d'ya have a sec? I said I'd let ya look at my shoulder, so why not do it now?"

"Alright. Let me get my medical kit first. Wait for me in the living room." He said as he continued climbing the staircase.

* * *

My tongue was sore and possibly swollen from refraining from cursing the very air I breathed as Hershel did some more poking and prodding at my injured shoulder. I heard footsteps across the front porch and the screen door open. From the sound, I guessed it was one of the guys. The footsteps stopped in the doorway of the living room.

"Uh, ya got a bathroom? Wanna clean up 'fore dinner."

It was Daryl. I felt his eyes linger on my form, and I blushed slightly as Hershel told him where the bathroom was.

When Daryl left, Hershel finished up with my arm.

"Just take it easy on the shoulder and you should be good as new in a week."

I gingerly extended it and thanked the old man for the medical assistance. As I stood to walk back outside to my tent, Andrea spotted me.

"Hay Clary, ya got a minute?"

I sighed and went to find out what the headstrong blonde wanted.

* * *

"I can't believe I got sucked into this shit!" I grumbled as I shredded some chicken breasts.

Carol chuckled. "We all gotta pull our weight."

I grumbled. Andrea felt like she could just skip out on kitchen duty to go play "Rifleman" with the rest of our group, while I was stuck feeling useless. Oh well, at least Carl was on the road to recovery and no one else had been bitten by those horrible creatures.

Dinner that evening seemed rather lively compared to the past few meals we'd had. Courtesy of Patricia, Maggie, and Beth, we'd been allowed to cook and eat inside their home. This seemed to brighten most of our groups' spirits, though Hershel hadn't been too keen on the idea. I took my place at the oval shaped table next to Jamie as everyone filed in. I took notice that one seat at the table was empty. Quietly, Daryl slipped in, catching Carol's eye, and sitting in the very seat that had been empty. He seemed very uncomfortable with sitting so close to everyone.

"Night Clary, Jamie." Dale called out as he went to his post on top of the RV.

Did that man ever sleep? Jamie and I both waved to the old man and climbed into our tent. Once Jamie changed into a large coffee stained t-shirt that had once belonged to our mother and a pair of gym shorts, she settled in to her sleeping bag. I kissed her goodnight and got as comfortable as I could on the cot I had found at an abandoned day care when we were staying at the old quarry.

"Night, Jamie." I said as I turned off our lantern.

There were a few moments of silence. I guessed she had fallen asleep.

"I think Daryl likes you." Her voice sounded thoughtful, though tired.

My eyes, which had been closed, opened wide and looked at my kid sister.

"You're fucking with me right? What makes you say that?"

She chuckled and rolled over to face me. "Well, he stared at you while Hershel worked on your arm, and—."

"What the hell were you doing watching me while Hershel fixed my shoulder? I thought you went to see Carl?"

Jamie rolled her eyes. "Carl and I went out on the front porch. We saw you through the window."

"So now you're spying on me?" I said, sarcastically.

Jamie chose to ignore my comment. "And remember the CDC? You said it yourself, you hit on him that night."

I blushed like crazy and began stuttering. "I was drunk! Yes, I think he's hot, but the reason I hit on him was cuz I was fuckin drunk! And as for the staring, he could have been looking at anyone."

I turned back over and placed my arms behind my head.

"Dunno. Seemed like he was watching you."

She faced me. "Guessed he liked what he saw."

I yawned, feeling tired and absolutely drained. "Goodnight, Jamie."

After a moment she responded and I before long I heard her light snoring. I only prayed she wasn't plagued by the nightmares I had been for over twelve years.


	8. Just A Dream

**Well, here's another one :) I've been pretty consistent with updating, but I'm starting school tomorrow so i'm not sure how much time I'll have. But you have my word I'll post new chapters as soon as i possibly can :D Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Daryl's POV

A whole lot of nothing; that's what was going on. The group made it to this farm bout a mile or so from the highway last night. Since cop number one gave all that blood to his kid, and cop number two sprained his damned ankle, it looked like I was the only one able to go out and look for the girl. At least I could get away from this sorry ass group for a while…

I trudged my way back to the farmhouse and went straight for the RV. As I figured, Carol was in there. When she heard me approach she looked up at me with those sad eyes. For some reason I felt sorry for her. It should be Shane or some other asshole out there lost; not an innocent little girl.

"I cleaned the place up. Wanted it to look nice when we bring her back." the tired woman said, not looking at me.

I glanced around a second time. I'd noticed it when I first walked in the RV.

"For a second, I though I was in the wrong place."

She gave me a small smile. I knew exactly what was happening. She was loosing hope. Her little girl was out there and she was expecting us not to find her. I fought the urge to scoff, and just laid the beer bottle I had found out in the woods on the table.

"What's this?" She asked, gently touching the flower that was sticking out of the bottle.

"It's a Cherokee Rose. The story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee mothers were grieving and cryin so much 'cause they were loosing their little ones along the way from exposure and disease and starvation. A lot of 'em just disappeared. So the elders they said a prayer and asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits, give 'em strength and hope. The next day this rose started to grow where the mothers' tears fell. I'm not fool enough to think that there's any flowers' bloomin' for my brother, but I believe this one bloomed for your little girl."

Carol was silent while I told her the story my mom used to tell me when I was little.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

Her eyes never left the flower, but I could see more tears threatening to fall. I took that as my cue to leave. I sure as hell wasn't going to stick around for the waterworks.

* * *

I walked to my tent and grabbed some clean clothes for a shower. Everyone seemed busy so I figured it'd be a good time to get a shower undisturbed. When I walked into the house, I felt slightly uneasy. Did they have problems with people being dirty? They shouldn't since they lived on a farm, but I wasn't sure if they had a separate shower for when they were especially unkempt. I heard the old man, Hershel, speaking quietly, in the living room and figured I'd clear it with him first.

"Uh, ya got a bathroom? Wanna clean up 'fore dinner."

I took notice of whom Hershel was doctoring on. From the small frame and dark hair, I guessed it was Clary. She had cut her hair short and was wearing a tight fitting gray tank top with basketball shorts. With my eyes, I traced a small circle of angry-looking scars on her left shoulder. If I had to guess, they were cigarette burns. I knew about those all too well. Feeling a creeping heat on my cheeks, I tore my eyes away from the small woman.

"Upstairs, second room on the left." the old man said as he continued fingering Clary's bum shoulder.

I felt Clary's eyes on me as I went upstairs.

* * *

I locked the bathroom door and turned the water on. Looking in the mirror, I saw my cheeks were flushed. I knew why, and the guy between my legs knew why. What was it about that girl that made me blush and got me so hard? She had caught me staring, and I had blushed like a ten-year-old boy.

_"Dixon's don't blush baby brother. And we sure as hell don't get all mushy fer some pussy. Ya shoulda just let those guys take her. Hell, they were offering you a spot in their group. Bet they had a bunch of hot asses there."_

My brothers' words went through my mind. "You bet shut up!" I growled. I definitely wasn't my brother, and I'd be damned if I let him control my actions.

* * *

I walked out to my tent as soon as I had finished eating. Didn't want to get too attached to these useless pricks.

As I lay on my cot, sipping away at what little alcohol Merle had saved me, I thought back to dinner. Clary had been all smiles and politeness, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that her shoulder was bothering her. If I were in her spot, I would have told everyone to just leave me alone. Why was she being so nice, even in the worst world imaginable? I let my mind wander, and wander it did; right to the very girl I was trying to figure out. I could just see what her life had been like before all this. She probably had a boyfriend and a good job, and she probably visited her parents and sister every weekend. Hell, did she even know heartache before everything went to shit? I then thought of the small scars I had seen on her shoulder. Who or what had done that to her? Was she one of those people who liked hurting themselves? Or did someone do it to her, making her an innocent victim? A thought popped into my head and immediately I tried to shake it. What did those marks feel like? Did they feel as rough and calloused as the ones on my hands? No, they probably still felt soft and smooth, like the rest of her skin. Before I could stop the downward spiral of my thoughts, I felt him pressing against the zipper of my jeans, begging for relief. This only made the thoughts dirtier. Suddenly I heard my tent rustle.

"The fuck's that?" I asked myself.

Forgetting how hard I was, I grabbed my crossbow and opened my tent slightly. I nearly jumped back when I realized who it was.

"The fuck are ya—." Clary silenced me by throwing herself against me and kissing me.

This definitely wasn't helping my hard on. When she broke away, her hands went to my belt.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, slightly breathless.

She smiled, but it wasn't her usual smile, it was deviant. It turned me on even more.

"Jamie's sleeping." She said as if I were asking her what the weather was.

I groaned as she undid my pants and let them hit the floor. Quickly, she shoved me on my cot and straddled me. "I have needs, just like you." She whispered. One of her hands went to my rock hard dick while the other forced me to look at her.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's horny tonight." She continued.

Before I could stop her, her mouth latched on and began milking him. She worked her tongue around the tip and I swore I'd loose it then. Fire built up in my balls and I knew I was close.

"Shit," I called out. "I'm cumming!"

Despite my warning, Clary continued sucking and swallowed as I emptied into her.

I rested my head on my pillow, my mind traveling a thousand miles an hour. Clary again straddled me and leaned in close.

"Say my name."

I looked at her. Her gray eyes were staring right at me.

"Say it." she commanded.

I closed my eyes. "Clary."

I opened my eyes, expecting her to be there looking at me. I frowned when I realized she wasn't in the tent and my hands and stomach were covered in my sex. It'd been a fucking dream…


	9. Side of A Bullet

**Hay guys! I'm back with another chapter! :D I'm running on coffee, energy drinks, and only a few hours sleep today so I hope this chapter isn't total crap! As always I love reviews :) Enjoyy!**

Clary's POV

"Clary get up. Breakfast is ready." Jamie said as she yanked the covers off my body.

"Fuckin' hell." I mumbled angrily. "A'ight I'm up. Let me get some clothes on."

Once Jamie left, I changed into a striped polo shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Dale said as he walked up to me.

I smiled and mumbled a "good morning" before shoving some eggs and toast into my mouth.

* * *

I helped Carol and Lori do the domestic chores most of the day. Lori was happy that Carl was doing better. I felt kind of sad thinking about that. Not that I didn't want Carl getting back on his feet, but Beth had let it slip that Hershel was going to make us leave once Carl was completely healed. I didn't want to leave our small safe heaven. I didn't want to spend the rest of mine and my sisters' lives running from danger, praying for shelter.

* * *

"WALKER!" screamed Andrea from on top of the RV.

Since she'd been given her gun back, Andrea had been taking watch against walkers. Quickly I turned to Jamie. Fear was clear in her eyes.

"Go to the house!" I yelled at her.

Lori grabbed Carl and helped lead Jamie inside. I grabbed my hatchet and ran with Rick, Glenn, and Shane towards the decaying corpse.

As we neared the body, I noticed a now familiar crossbow around its back. No. No, Daryl couldn't have been bitten by one of those bastards. He would've taken an arrow to the head rather than wait to be turned.

"Is that Daryl?" Glenn asked.

All of us paused except for Rick. He held Daryl, or Daryl's body, at gunpoint.

"You gonna pull the trigger?" Daryl's heavily accented voice asked, obviously irritated.

"That's the third damn time you pointed that thing at my face."He told the former cop.

I felt the tightness in my chest release at knowing Daryl had made it back safely. Damn was he filthy though. Suddenly a gunshot ripped through the air. I turned back towards Andrea. Had there been a walker near by? I heard something heavy drop to the ground. Rick let out a bloodcurdling scream and I nearly went weak in my knees. Daryl was had fallen. Blood was spattered over his head. He looked dead. Shane and Rick screamed that it wasn't a walker Andrea had shot and carried Daryl towards the house. We couldn't lose Daryl, especially to a stupid mistake.

"You stupid bitch!" I yelled at Andrea as she climbed down from her post.

She looked like she might be sick. Good, she deserved to feel bad for possibly killing a member of our small group. "I-I—I didn't know!" she stuttered.

"No you didn't! You should've listened to Rick! But nooo! You hadda play little miss badass and now Daryl's hurt."

She regained her composure and cocked her hip to one side while crossing her arms. "Hay! I was protecting the group. Don't tell me that as soon as you saw him, you knew he was alive. From anyone's point of view he looked like a walker."

"Yeah, but Rick waited before he took the shot."

I shook my head, overcome with malice."Not you though. Shoot first; ask questions later. That sound about right?"

She looked at me wearily.

"You think that when you pulled that suicide stunt on Dale back at the CDC?"

For a moment, I feared she'd blow a gasket and slap me.

"Yeah, you're protecting the group alright."

I turned towards the house to cool off. My face was red from yelling at Andrea for her stupidity and my temper was boiling.

Rick walked out of the room where Hershel was looking at Daryl. Immediately I stood up.

"Is Daryl gonna be okay?" Jamie asked.

I placed my hand on her shoulder, bracing her should the cop give us bad news. Rick cast us both a tired smile.

"Yes, it's just a flesh wound thankfully. He'll stay in the house for a few nights so Hershel can keep an eye on his injuries."

I felt relieved at his words. Shane and Hershel walked out and greeted us.

"He's going to be fine. He shouldn't have taken my horse like that though." The old man said, wiping his hands clean on a rag.

I sighed and just then I remembered the dull pain in my shoulder. Guess I'd have to take some ibuprofen when I went to bed.

* * *

"Ay, Clary, where you goin?" Shane asked as I made my way towards the spare bedroom where Rick, Lori, and Carl were.

Jamie had made Carl a "Get Well" card with what little notebook paper I had in my bag and was too shy to give it to him.

"I'm taking Carl this card Jamie made him."

He chuckled and walked up to me. "Ain't that sweet. Here we are in the fuckin apocalypse and we still got time for young love."

I glared at him. "Hay, they're just kids. Sides I'm glad they've become good friends. The hell's your problem, Shane?"

Suddenly his hands slammed into the wall on either side of my face. His breath smelled like stale whiskey.

"You keep your fuckin sister away from Rick and his family. You see what Sophia going missing did to Carl. The less attached he is, the better chance he has at survival."

That did it. I was still pissed off from my spat with Andrea earlier that evening and now this asshole was trying to scare me. Did I have a sign on my back saying "I Have No Life. Please Feel Free To Fuck It Up"?Before I gave his demands much thought, I spat in his face.

"You lay a fuckin hand on my sister, and I swear to God I will cut you into tiny motherfucking pieces and feed you to the damn walkers."

He stepped back and looked at me like I had grown three heads.

"Stay away from Rick and Lori. And keep that kid away from Carl!" He growled as he walked back outside, presumably to his tent.

I sighed as the crazy ex-cop left. Guess he'd been hitting the bottle pretty hard tonight. That thought alone didn't keep me from shuddering slightly at his words.

* * *

I knocked on the bedroom door to see if everyone was descent. It'd definitely be awkward to spoil an intimate moment between the couple. Lori smiled as she looked at the card.

"He's sleeping, but I'll make sure to give it to him. Since Sophia went missing, he's been so determined to find her."

I nodded. "Jamie feels the same. I have to watch and make sure she doesn't take sneak out on her own."

Lori and I chuckled quietly. Thankfully, it seemed that no one had heard mine and Shane's "conversation".

"Well, I'm gonna go get ready for bed." I told our leader's wife.

She folded the card back up and looked down at her sleeping child.

"Yeah, it's been another rough day." I was all too willing to agree with her on that.

"Night Lori." I told her as I left the room.

Laying in my cot, I watched my sister sleep. She'd been so strong through all of this. She hadn't once gone into hysterics since I'd found her hiding in that closet. Frankly, that scared me more than anything. Was she really okay? Was she scared and didn't want anyone to know? Or had she shut all of it down? Some days it felt nice to just wander through the motions. Not to feel anything. But I couldn't. I had to be on alert for her. Shane only made the dangers of being a child in this world clearer to me. I'd rot in hell before I let anything or anyone touch her. That was a promise.

"I love you…so much."


	10. Secrets

**Hay guys! I bet you thought I'd forgotten about this story didn't ya? ;D Well as a special treat for the premire tomorrow night, I completely left alone my other stories and focused only on submitting this chapter :D Hope you guys enjoy it...**

The next day, I took over Carol's job of cleaning up the breakfast dishes since she wanted to go with the other women and learn to shoot properly. It took some convincing, but I was able to persuade Rick that I was quite capable of handling my own with a gun. He allowed me to carry and stay back to guard our precious safe heaven. I only hoped they wouldn't attract walkers with all of the shooting they'd be doing.

* * *

I had just brought out a basket of laundry from the house. Hershel had consented that we use his washer and dryer if we kept everything in tact and that we keep up with our things.

As I sat at the picnic table folding Jamie's clothes, and mine I caught Glenn's eye. He waved back nervously, and entered Lori and Rick's tent. Wonder what was eating at him? I went back to the laundry and eventually found some of Daryl's clothing that I had taken the liberty of washing. Since he had been going out all the time hunting or looking for Sophia, and now he was bedridden for a few days, I figured he could use some help getting his clothes clean. I knew better than to ask, so I just found the 'dirty' pile and had thrown them in with my laundry.

After about twenty minutes, I had finished folding the clothes and had taken Daryl his. Hershel must've put him on some strong pain meds. Daryl actually thanked me for washing his clothes, without making some sort of smart-ass remark. Yeah, it definitely had to be whatever meds he was on. I tried cooling my flushed cheeks so that no one would ask why I was blushing. Whenever I was around Daryl I tended to get nervous and blush. I could never forget how I had hit on him when I was drunk at the CDC and how he'd so gentlemanly not taken advantage of me. I wasn't going to lie; I liked him, maybe more than I'd care to admit. But I always wondered what would have happened if we had slept together…

I was pulled from my thoughts by rustling coming from our leaders' tent. Lori shot out of there like a bat outta hell and was running towards the fields. She obviously was not okay. I noticed that Rick and most of our crew were still out at target practice and Hershel's group was inside fixing dinner. Without thinking I ran after the distressed dark haired woman towards the field.

When I finally caught up with Lori she was double over at the fence that separated Hershel's land from the cow fields. I held her hair back as she spit up tiny globs. It was hard to make out what color they were, but they obviously were pills. When she finished heaving, she searched the ground frantically and counted how many pills there were, and then glanced at a pill package she held in her hands.

**Plan B: Emergency Contraceptive**

Now I had never been to med school, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening. Lori thought, or was certain, she was pregnant and she had taken those pills to abort the baby. But now it seemed as if she had changed her mind.

"Does Rick even know?" I asked blatantly. She shook her head.

"Lori, you can't just do something like that without telling him. It's as much his baby as it is yours."

"You've never had kids. You don't know what it's like. Being responsible for another life that's completely dependant on you." She said staring out at the field.

I sighed and shook my head. I then moved my shirt off my collarbone and showed her some of the scars my stepmother had given me growing up. The one she focused on was the angry cigarette burn on my arm.

"My mom died a year after Jamie was born. Dad did his best to raise us but he was constantly gone on business trips to make enough money to keep our house. He married this lawyer, Sharon. I hated her. She did that to me because I caught her trying to smother Jamie for crying in the middle of the night and had threatened to tell dad."

"Why didn't you tell him?" She asked, stunned that I had lived with such a vile person.

"He was never home, and he honestly believed everything Sharon said. Losing mom really messed him up. Even when I showed him some of the marks she left, he believed the half baked lie that bitch told him."

"I'm so sorry." She nearly whispered.

"You said I didn't know about kids, and being responsible for another life, you're wrong. I sent my child to the grave before it was even born and Jamie has looked to me ever since she was a child. She doesn't even remember mom."

I caught the surprised look in Lori's eyes. "Yeah, I was sixteen and pregnant by the only person I thought I would love. I told him and he left me there. I didn't want dad or my step mom to know so I nearly OD'd on those pills."

I looked back, and saw Rick running towards us. I looked at Lori with sympathy. She had a hard choice ahead of her.

"It's not my decision, but I think everyone deserves a chance at life." I told her before making my way back to my tent. Hell was going to break loose and I was making damn sure I wasn't there to witness it.

The rest of the evening was pretty quiet. I finished my dinner silently, and noticed how Shane kept looking from me to Jamie and Carl. He still was hell bent on keeping Jamie away from Carl for his own "safety". I scoffed and ignored the looks he kept giving my little sister and me.

* * *

I heard a lot of raised and panicked voices the next morning. I slipped on a tank top and shorts along with my shoes before walking to Andrea's side around the fire pit. We had patched things up the evening before and were back on speaking terms.

"What's going on?" I nearly whispered.

"Glenn says there's a shitload of walkers in the barn. Hershel thinks they're sick people and that the CDC's gonna come up with some sort of magic cure for them."

I shook my head in disbelief. Those things definitely weren't alive or sick. They were cold, dead, cannibalistic some-bitches that had taken most of humanity with them.

"What's the plan now? Pack up and leave?" I asked skeptically. I didn't want to leave this place. It was so nice not to have to be on the run all the time.

"Rick's gonna talk to Hershel and see if they can come up with some sort of compromise. Don't think it'll work though."

I nodded in agreement with the blonde. Compromising with the head of the Greene family was going to be near impossible.


	11. Mad World

_All around me are familiar faces_

_Worn out places, worn out faces_

_Bright and early for the daily races_

_Going nowhere, going nowhere_

_Their tears are filling up their glasses_

_No expression, no expression_

_Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow_

_No tomorrow, no tomorrow_

_And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad_

_The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had_

_I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take_

_When people run in circles its a very, very_

_Mad world, mad world_

_Children waiting for the day they feel good_

_Happy birthday, happy birthday_

_And I feel the way that every child should_

_Sit and listen, sit and listen_

_Went to school and I was very nervous_

_No one knew me, no one knew me_

_Hello teacher tell me, what's my lesson?_

_Look right through me, look right through me_

_And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad_

_The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had_

_I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take_

_When people run in circles its a very, very_

_Mad world, mad world, enlarging your world_

_Mad world_

"Settle down, Clary, you're scaring me." Andrea said, watching me pace around nervously in front of the porch stairs. I looked at her and honestly tried to calm down. It didn't do any good though. Jamie and Carl were out, helping Carol wash and mend clothes. Both kids were worried about what was going to happen to our group, but they didn't voice their concerns.

"How can you be so calm?" I asked the blonde as I sat beside her. Talking might help me forget that our very lives were on the line.

"I trust Rick will see where Shane's coming from. It's just a matter of time."

I sighed. "No offense, Andrea, but I wouldn't place my life in Shane's hands. Yeah I think he's right that we need to clear the barn, but damn we're only guests here. What if keeping those things in the barn, keeps others away? D'ya ever think of that?"

"Shane's rational. I trust him."

"I'm afraid I don't see him the same way as you do. Shane's a caged bear waiting to be let loose."

We both refused to speak for a while. Nervous energy loomed in the air. I fiddled with the necklace a friend of mine bought me when I was still in high school. It was a simple black strap with three charms on it; a large key, a rose, and a bulb. Idly, I wondered if she was even alive.

"I see the way you look at Daryl." Andrea suddenly blurted out. I looked up at her confused, but blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't even bother playing innocent. You like him." She continued teasing.

I sighed. "Okay, fine I do. But come on, there's nothing going on between us."

She just gave me a look. "I think he likes you too."

"There's no way in hell he likes me. Remember how I hit on him at the CDC?" I said, bringing my friend back to reality.

"I think he does. I've seen him watch you and Jamie like a hawk. And…" She leaned in close towards my ear. "The other night, I could have sworn I heard him yell your name."

I looked at her, bewildered. There was no way Daryl liked me. Maybe he just thought I was hot and used me as his pin up to get off on. Now that Andrea placed those thoughts in my head, a small jolt of electricity shot down my spine. Maybe I liked the idea of Daryl getting off and calling out my name as he climaxed….

Just then, Rick and Hershel walked out from behind the house and started off towards the swamps.

"What the hell are they doing?" I asked, watching the duo disappear in the tree line.

"Not sure. Maybe Hershel needed some help with something."

We both agreed that was probably the case.

I left Andrea's side to check on the kids. Carol liked watching them and it seemed to help keep her from dwelling on Sophia's disappearance. The poor kid was loosing support by the hour. By tomorrow, I could just about guarantee that everyone save, Rick, Carol, and Daryl would give up and assume the worst. I honestly didn't know where I stood on the matter. I wanted to believe she was just hiding out in some abandoned farmhouse, but it'd been several days since she went missing. A lot of shit could have happened to her.

"Hay, Clary." Carol said, giving me the best smile a grieving mother could.

"Hay, Carol." I responded. We both watched the children as they were playing on the shores of the creek. It was nice to see them doing something normal.

"Don't bother asking. Lori, Glenn, and Rick have all been out here asking me the same questions." She said, forcefully.

"I'm not going to, Carol. I just want to let you know that I'm here for you, we all are, should the worst happen. We pray it doesn't though." I told her.

She placed a hand on my shoulder, seeming grateful for my words and I gave her a comforting hug.

Just then we heard angry shouts coming from the barn; mainly Shane's. I looked at Carol and the kids.

"What the hell's he gotten into now?" I asked as we started towards the mass that had gathered around the barn.

"Maybe Hershel's kicking us off his land?" Carol suggested skeptically. It's true that could have happened.

I was prepared to move, to start living on the road again with this rag tag group. I was ready to fight my way through hell to keep Jamie and the rest of the group safe, but I was not prepared for what was happening in front of me.

Hershel had a female walker on a game hook and Rick had a male one on another hook. Beth's boyfriend, Jimmy had been goading the monsters towards the barn, but Shane shoved him out of the way.

"What the hell is this Rick?" The ex cop shouted.

The bastard wouldn't even let his friend speak, before ranting about how we weren't safe with all the walkers in the barn. I agreed that this situation was perilous to our safety, it could be handled more rationally.

"Do not do this brother! Brother, think about what you're doing!" Rick bellowed, still holding on to the rasping male walker.

Hershel remained silent as Shane popped a round into the female's lung, heart, and stomach.

"WHY IS IT STILL COMING?" Shane screamed at the old man. My heart went out to Hershel. Realization that he may be wrong was settling in. Shane was just rubbing it in his face.

"Shane! Enough!" Rick called out to his best friend, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Yeah, you're right man." Shane scoffed, cocking his gun once more. "That is enough." As he passed Hershel, he popped the final round in the female walker's head without missing a beat.

Shane grabbed a metal pipe, it might have been a crowbar or pick axe, and yelled out as he charged the barn door. Within moments the padlock was broken and the doors flew open. Shane, Andrea, and T-Dog stepped up with their weapons raised. I hugged Jamie close to me as she yelped in fear. I looked at Lori and she was doing the same with Carl.

Daryl stepped forward, in front of us. "Get behind me." He said harshly. I could barely acknowledge him. All I could think about was if those walkers got through the ranks and came after my group. Quickly, I pulled the pistol from the waistband of my jeans and shoved Jamie towards Lori. Lori held both frightened children as I stepped up, shoulder to shoulder with Daryl, and took aim to kill the some bitches that killed so many people.

"I said get behind me!" Daryl bellowed.

I tossed him a smirk. "I can handle my own."

One by one, the bodies dropped. Loved ones, neighbors, mothers, fathers, hell there was at least one teenager who'd been locked up in there. I know Hershel believed they were sick, but I'd be damned if I'd let them touch the group.

Shane did Rick a favor by lying to rest the walker still on the game hook. This gave Rick his hands to shoot if need be. I only prayed his brain was there enough for him to do so. He seemed almost catatonic, sitting there, barely moving.

When all the dirty work was done, I looked around. Hershel knelt on the ground, his kids hovering over him. I wanted to talk to him, but it wasn't my place. He needed time to grieve. Daryl looked at me and nodded. I guess that meant he approved of my shooting.

Just then we all heard movement behind the barn door. I stepped forward cautiously, but Daryl placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked back in confusion. Hell, he even looked confused as to why he did it. He removed his hand and I turned back around to face the monster in the barn. Was there some sort of gored up disemboweled walker crawling around on the floor? Before any more thoughts could enter my brain, a set of sightless amber eyes met mine. A tiny body stumbled forward, her hair a dirtied mess. My breath caught in my throat and I barely whispered the child's name.

"Sophia?"

Shane, who'd been beside me when Sophia walked out of the barn, nearly turned tail and ran behind the rest of the group. I couldn't move, I was so shocked, yet at the same time I expected this. Carol nearly ran through Daryl to get to her daughter, but he held her back. For some reason, my finger cocked the gun and aimed it at Sophia's head. I knew what needed to be done. Carol would hopefully understand one day. As I squeezed the trigger, Rick walked up to me, seeming hollow inside.

"I need to do it." He whispered. I nodded and felt my grip on my gun loosen. It fell to the ground as a clear gunshot rang out. I looked at the body of Carol's daughter as it fell to the ground. The deeds were done. The barn had been cleared out and Hershel saw what these things really were—monsters. Oh, and Sophia had been found. Yeah, we did a great job of protecting our own. I felt my knees go weak and I sank to the ground as Jamie ran up to me. All she did was cry. Before I knew it, I was crying too. Wet tears fell down my cheeks and onto Jamie's hair. A dear friend had been lost. A sweet girl had been caught in the hands of fate, and had ended up dead. This really was a mad world….


	12. Crazy Bitch

**Holy fucking shit! I have seriously been ignoring this story! D: Okay okay you can feed me to the walkers, I don't mind! Soooo what do you guys think of season 3 so far? I totally love it! I'm still going through season 2 in this story but I"m trying to pick up the pace so that I can catch up with the show! Anyways huge ass hugs for you guys who are still interested in this story and don't hate me! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! xx**

The world honestly stopped. Ask anyone who was present. That moment in time was seared in our brains for all of our existence. Sophia was dead. The reality of it was hitting me hard. Jamie's small body was racking with sobs as Carol and others went forward to inspect the damage.

"B-baby go with Lori and Carl. I-I'll be there in a bit." I stuttered, trying to find my voice.

Jamie looked up at me and nodded. Lori placed an arm around her shoulder as she took both children to the house. The sun was shining but it felt like God had pimp slapped us, laughing at how pathetic we humans were.

Beth was nearly attacked by her walker mother, but thankfully Andrea spearheaded the ugly fuck and looked to me. I nodded and stood up, dusting my legs off. Keep moving forward right?

"I want you all off my farm." Hershel said authoritatively as he stood up.

"You bastard! You knew about this! Didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?" Shane screamed, still pumped with adrenaline.

This was all too much. "Just shut the hell up! Hershel, this, this was NOTHING compared to what goes on out there! You can't throw us out like this." I said to the old man.

"And you," I said clearly to Shane, getting close to him. "You pipe the fuck down! If it weren't for you and your arrogant ass, we wouldn't be in this predicament!"

Shane narrowed his eyes into slits and charged at me. I slammed down onto the ground, feeling the breath leave my lungs. In anger and defiance I grabbed my knife and retaliated. Before I could do much damage, Daryl grabbed my arms and Glenn got in front of me.

"You guys better do something, or I'll kill him." I said, seeing only red.

"You keep that fucking crazy bitch away from me!" Shane said whilst being held by Rick and T-Dog.

"You first hun." I said, smiling evilly as I saw the nice gash on his stomach through his shirt.

"Clary, just calm down. Go cool it somewhere. You deserve some rest." Rick said, trying his best to consolidate me.

Reluctantly, I agreed. My muscles were aching and I felt sick to my stomach. Daryl released me and I shook myself of the loose dirt on my clothing. Shane stared at me and I walked off to my tent. This was a "FML" moment if there ever was one.

Daryl's POV

I was shocked Shane had assaulted Clary, but I was even more shocked she'd charged back. Damn the girl could fight. For being a tiny little shit she could definitely scrap with the best. I'd never tell a soul, but a few moments more of her struggling like she was, and I would have needed Asian's help holding her back.

Rick talked to her, and she finally calmed down. She walked to her tent and the majority of the group stared at what Rick was staring at; Shane.

"Rick, I can't believe you're keeping that crazy bitch here! You see what she did to me!" Shane said, gesturing to his stomach. Clary certainly left a mark. It wouldn't heal without scarring.

"Shane, what the hell was that? As far as I can tell, you're the one who's crazy! Opening the barn without anyone's permission? What were you thinking? Anyone could have been bitten!"

Before Shane could respond, Rick looked around. "Let's get this shit cleaned up, and pray to God more of them didn't hear our little shooting spree."

We all agreed and began dragging bodies to the burn pile, giving a few of them proper burials; one of those burials being So-Sophia. Damn, I could barely think of that poor kid's name without choking. She trusted us, trusted me and I let her down.

Clary's POV

I woke up to someone jostling my shoulder. I hissed in pain and shot up in a daze. I looked and saw that it was Jamie. She looked at me with wide eyes.

"Oh, come here baby. You scared me." I said, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just give me some warning next time okay?" I smiled.

"Andrea sent me here. She said I needed to get you up."

"And would you know what Blondie wants?" I asked, rolling out of bed and grabbing my Ibuprofen. My scrap with Shane had left my shoulder throbbing in pain.

"Said shit's going down. Rick needs you to go with him."

"Hay! Watch the swearing Jamie! You'll give people the idea you were raised by a bunch of heathens." I chuckled.

She smiled at me and laughed. "Well, one of those heathens is you so there."

We both walked out of our tent and she led me to where Rick was.

"How you doing?" He asked, concerned.

I nodded. "Been better, but I'm alright. Cooling off helped a lot."

He nodded. "That's good."

"Jamie, why don't you go get a shower. You look like a mess." I told the child. She agreed and left Rick and I to talk privately.

"Andrea and Jamie said you wanted me. What's going on?" I asked.

"After the barn incident, Beth got sick, had an attack, I'm not sure what. She's not responding to anyone."

"Wait, can't Hershel help her?" I asked, slightly confused.

Rick sighed wearily. He had the whole world riding on his shoulders. "Hershel's missing."

He looked at me and I knew what he was asking. "And you want me to help you find him."

"Maggie said Hershel more than likely went to the bar in town. I trust you, Glenn, Daryl, and T-Dog more than anyone right now. I'd feel better with Daryl keeping the rest of the group in line here. T-Dog's sight is getting worse. This morning he told me he could barely see my face clearly."

"So you want me and Glenn to cover you?"

"I'd feel more comfortable if you two did. You're a good shot and quick on your feet. So is Glenn."

"Alright. When are we leaving?" I asked.

Rick seemed relieved. "Here in a bit. Gotta get with Daryl and Glenn. Meet my by the SUV."

I grabbed my hunting knife, my pistol, and took a few hearty swigs of water, pouring some on the back of my sun burnt neck. Jamie ran back to me and hugged me.

"Rick said you're going out on a run?"

I nodded. "Yep, shouldn't be gone long. Beth needs Hershel."

"I trust Rick and Glenn. They're good people."

I got down on Jamie's level, holding out a knife I'd gotten on a run. "Look, I trust you with this. I don't know how long I'll be gone, or what's gonna happen. All hell may break loose, or nothing at all could happen. You need to do your part to keep the group safe. If those walking fucks go after anyone you know what to do right?"

"Aim for the head and don't let them get their arms around me."

"That's right. Now get gone. See if any of the women will let you help them with chores."

She scrunched her face up. "But I hate cooking, cleaning, and shit like that."

"Hay, don't be saying that around Carl or the other women okay? Watch that mouth."

She nodded and took off across the yard as Rick and Glenn met me by the vehicle.

"You ready?" Rick asked. I nodded and hopped in the back seat as the boys took shotgun. I leaned my head back against the headrest and tried my best to focus on what our plan was going to be once we got to town.

**Since you've been a good sport and have stuck with me through this chapter, mind leaving me a review? I'd much appreciate it! :D**


	13. Dead In Ditches

**Well, since I've been a terrible terrible person and haven't updated in so long I figured I'd update a little quicker! I hope this chapter isn't shit :( but feel free to leave your review! :D Enjoy! x**

The ride into town wasn't long, but my stomach was in knots from the tension in the air. Was Hershel okay? Had he gotten in trouble? Did he go…kill himself? I gulped as we pulled up to the bar.

Rick walked in first and some of the knots untied themselves. Hershel was sitting there at the bar pouring himself another glass of Bourbon. Personally I was a Whiskey and Vodka kinda gal, but whatever floats your boat.

Glenn and Rick did their best to pry the old fool from the bottle but he wouldn't budge. I felt sorry for him. He blamed himself for everything that had happened. His faith was now gone.

"Hershel, Beth needs you. Both your daughters need you. You've gotta come home." I told him, sitting on the opposite side of him.

"Their strong girls, they can do just fine without me." He said, slightly slurring his words.

"No, you don't get it. Maggie's scared. She's worried about you and for Beth. You've gotta come back to the farm and help her." Rick said, playing the "father" card.

Before anyone could say more, the saloon-like doors flew open. Two guys walked in, smiling even. I didn't trust them one bit. Who the hell smiles in the middle of an apocalypse?

They introduced themselves as Dave and Toni-seemed Italian and Northern. Toni kept smiling at me and winking, trying to hit on me.

"Fuck off fatso." I said, showing him I had a gun and wasn't afraid to use it.

Rick was precariously trying to shake them but the guys wouldn't have any of that.

Words were said and Dave walked behind the counter to grab some liquor. In a blink of an eye Rick shot the man.

Toni tried to get the jump on me, but Rick stopped him, shooting him several times.

We all looked at each other. I understood why Rick shot them. "They deserved it." I said quietly, stepping over Toni's body.

"Shit! There's more of them coming!" Glenn hissed from his lookout point. Then, we heard it. Several human voices were shouting for Dave and Toni. Glenn and Rick barricaded the doors, but the men outside knew we were in there.

Rick attempted to reason with them, but his pleas were met with gunshots. I only prayed we'd make it out of this alive.

Daryl's POV

What the hell was that prick thinking? He was risking his life to go after that sorry old man who was nothing but a waste of space! And not only was he risking his life, he was risking Clary's and Glenn's lives too, not that I cared. I'm done with people. I'm done getting attached. Merle was right, getting attached gets you killed. Sophia was attached to that sorry mother of hers, and now she's six feet under. Maybe tomorrow I'll leave this group and look for Merle. That asshole couldn't have gotten far.

Mrs. Hoe Grimes interrupted my thoughts by walking up to where I was. She asked if I'd go look for Rick and the others. I told her no, but this bitch just wouldn't shut up!

"Don't you be telling me about getting my hands dirty! You want those idiots? Have a nice ride. I'm done looking for people." I said, my blood boiling.

Immediately, I felt bad for saying those things. Rick and Glenn were good guys. Clary was…well she was a good shot, could fight, and had a good head on her shoulders. It'd be a damn shame if we lost any of them.

Lori gave up on convincing me to go get them and quickly walked back to the house. Figured she'd get her bitch, Shane to go get them. I went back to making some more arrows, thinking of how I was going to leave tomorrow.

"Um, Daryl…" said a small voice.

"Fuck off." I shot back, not paying attention to whom I was speaking.

"You first, dick head." The voice said.

I shot my head up and actually felt like laughing. It was Jamie, Clary's 13-year-old sister. Guess the vocabulary runs in the family.

"Aye, watch your mouth. Don't want the other adults to hear you talking like that."

"You're not gonna tell?" She asked.

I shook my head. "Nah, I was a lil younger than you when I first started swearing. Shot my first buck about your age too." I said, reliving the memories. They weren't the best, but they were better than my other memories.

She smiled. "Could you teach me how to shoot? Clary always says she's gonna teach me, but never gets around to it…" the kid trailed off in sadness.

"I don't know about that. Your sister's a busy woman. I'm sure she'll teach you soon enough."

Jamie huffed angrily. "Please Daryl! I wanna learn to help the camp! You could teach me to catch animals and how to prepare them to eat."

She kept on till I finally relented. "A'ight, but I'm not responsible if you get hurt." I told her. She bobbed her small head up and down in excitement and showed me the knife and gun Clary had given her. I actually found the kids' enthusiasm entertaining.

"A'ight, let's head out and see if we can catch some squirrel before nightfall. Then I'll teach ya how to gut it."

Clary's POV

In the spew of gunfire, Glenn and I managed to make it outside. Hershel covered us.

"Glenn! The fuck's wrong? We gotta go!" Glenn just sat there clutching his gun like a child.

I grabbed Glenn's hand and Rick led us back to our vehicle. That's when we heard the screams. A couple of the guys we'd shot were being torn open by walkers who'd heard the gunshots, and there was a guy trapped on a dumpster across the street. It looked like his leg had been stabbed.

Being the good Southern gentlemen that they are, Rick and Glenn both ran to help him. Turned out, it was just a kid.

More walkers heard the screams and began coming after us. Holy shit! This could be the end. In haste, Rick grabbed the kid's leg and yanked it off the spike, having Hershel help him drag the kid to the car. We drove off, crushing a few walker skulls, but now we had to find a safe spot to cauterize the boy's wound or he'd be dead in a ditch.


End file.
